A Traitor's Lament
by IAmTheUltimateGleek
Summary: Kamui chose her own fate with a confident heart and weary smile. Yet no matter how certain she may be, her "real" family refuses to accept such betrayal.
1. The Path is Yours

"Marx! Withdrawl your troops and stand down."

Every head present snapped to attention at the sound of Kamui's voice. There was not one single waver in the princess's tone, despite the fact that she had just spoken to the heir of Nohr, her idolized since childhood eldest brother, to surrender.

And to Hoshido's forces no less.

"Kamui?! You can't be serious?"

The red eyed girl could feel it. The pressure filled stares coming from her left flank.

The entire Nohrian army was watching her with rapt attention. Watching as she, their fellow soldier and resoected monarch, raised her blade to the man who had been nothing but a loving sibling to her for years.

She could almost visualize their contempt grow the longer her stance held firm.

Worse yet, she could sense three distinct pairs of eyes more so than anyone else's.

Camilla. Elise. Leon.

It felt like six hot embers were being pressed into the side of her profile. Out of rage or utter shock she would never know.

She was scared to look.

"I stand with Hoshido. This is my final warning. Either retreat or surrender!"

Marx moved his horse forward, threatening and succesfully causing Kamui to step back slightly.

"Tell me this is not what I suspect dear sister. I had feared they would try to poison your mind with you with their lies...but to fall to their magic so quickly!"

Ryouma, who had been a few yards away to the princess's right, moved a step closer. His blade drawn with thunderous waves.

"Kamui has made her choice. We have done nothing to persuade her. She merely opened her eyes to your deceit."

Marx didn't hesitate at the sight of the older Hoshidian placing his hand on Kamui's shoulder. His horse immediately charged straight at Ryouma.

However Kamui's new blade quickly intercepted the blow. Causing the young Nohrian's horse to recoil and recover.

"Marx please! Father tried to send me off on a suicide mission into Hoshido! He does not care for me, nor you, nor any of us! Please call off your men so that we may talk!"

For an awful moment, Kamui's heart took the silence hanging within the air as a sign of Marx possible consideration to her plea.

But the sudden centimeter of space distancing her face from the Nohr prince's blade told her she had been wrong.

"Traitor..."

"Marx-"

"I don't know what it is they have done to you sister. But I swear it I will not leave this place without you by our side."

The blonde suddenly drew his horse back towards the forefront of the Nohr army. With his sword raised in a ready motion, Marx faced back to look straight i to Kamui's eyes. His strong voice boomed across the battlefield effortlessly.

"Princess Kamui has been overturned to the enemy's magic. You are to restrain her by any means. Kill anyone who tries to stop you."

Red eyes widened as Kamui turned to see her Hoshido family rushing to stand defensively besides her.

Hinoka had her staff at the ready.

"You needn't worry Kamui. I will protect you... We all will."

Sakura nodded her head reassuringly as Takumi readied his bow.

"We shall see your true loyalty now I suppose.""

Despite his tone, Kamui could feel the hostility still lingering within Takumi's words. As though the sudden protective front he was portraying did not live up to his venomous intent.

If he was trying to show the tiniest bit more trust in her, he was faiking horribly.

But Kamui couldn't even bother to consider any of this before a blast of magic came within inches of her face.

It hadn't been for her, but rather Ryouma who was forced backwards by a few feet.

A dark chuckle broke past the Nohr front.

"If you all are prepared to die trying to steal our precious sister, let's make this a quick fight."

Camilla's tone was light, but Kamui could the tension hanging heavily in her words.

The purple haired woman was not going to live through the next few moments with any sense of mercy.

"You are coning HOME with us Kamui. Wether you believe so or not..."

Leon was certain. She could just see it in the way his eyes held onto hers. Just like when he was young and wanted her to focus on her lessons or play with him. He knew he was right. And he knew he would win.

"Yay! So Kanui is coming home with us!"

Elise. Dear sweet Elise with her staff at the ready and smile in place. It was as though she could not recognise what had transpired. Yet Kamui knew that was a lie. Elise was young, but not stupid. She understood every word that had been said. And she was refusing to believe it.

Ryouma couldn't even try to reassure the nervous princess before Marx's voice echoed far past both armies' lines.

"ATTACK!"


	2. The Path is Burned

The ride back to Nohr had been a silent one.

Camilla had ordered Belka and Peiri to return the remaining forces back to the castle and alert Garon that the royal family had stayed behind to scout further into the enemy's territory.

And to the unknowing lot that what the entire army was left to believe.

However rather than head into the clearly less protected and openly free for conquest terrain, the small family held together as one and slowly made their way towards the farthest most out of the way path leading towards Nohr.

With them they had combined three horses, two days worth of supplies, and one prisoner. Who was being lead by chains, and dragging her bare feet behind them. Forced to follow behind the slow movement of the steeds less she be drug across the path's terrain face first.

No one said a word for the first hour.

Instead they rode in nearly perfect silence, save for Elise's spells being spoken. She healed Marx, then Camilla, then herself, then Leon.

But all of them ordered for her to skip over their captive.

By the second hour Kamui's legs were beginning to shake.

Despite the three horses slow pace, her wounds and the lack of water she had drank since that morning were beginning to cause her vision to swim.

Marx only called for a break when a soft thump and dragging sound drew all their attention to the exausted body behind them.

Camilla immidiately allowed Elise to remove herself off of their shared horse, before she rushed to untie Kamui's leash and sit her upright.

The cuffs on her wrists and ankles remained.

"Poor dear. Here sit down and drink some water."

Kamui outright turned her head away, despite the way her aching muscles cried out for anything to relieve the pain and dehydration pulsating from within.

"Don't be so stubborn. You'll catch death well before we reach home if you don't drink up."

Again Kamui looked away. The blood on her hands had suddenly become far more fascinating to stare at.

"Kamui. I will not warn you again. Open your mouth. Now."

Camilla's words were getting more frightening with every passing moment. Leon nearly felt the need to intervene, but the purple haired woman had suddenly grabbed Kamui's chin and forced her jaw open before he could.

Kamui had no strength left to resist the moment the liquid touched her blood soaked mouth.

"There there...slow sips. That's it."

Camilla was noticably more calm once she could see Kamui desperately swallowing down the water.

The princess wanted to cry at the relief that blessed her dry throat and cracked lips. It felt like the gods themselves had given her only the tiniest bit of comfort.

"See? All better."

Kamui couldn't help but flinch when Camilla drew her hand away from her jaw and began to pet her lovingly.

The other's noticed her response regardless.

Leon finished unloading their needed supplies and quickly used his magic to create a small fire. Despite the heat of the midsummer wins, the night would be approaching soon. They wouldn't make it back to Nohr's castle until mid afternoon tomorrow at the latest.

The two youngest moved to sit across from Kamui and Camilla, who now was gently removing what she could of the remaining dried blood and dirt coating the princess's face. Marx began to pace off to the side.

The three waited until they were sure Camilla was satisfied with given Kamui less cringeworthy appearence before speaking all at once.

"What were you thinking?"

"How could you?"

"Did we do something wrong?"

The princess couldn't didnmt bother to figure out who had asked what. Instead the white haired girl focused on the soft sound of the forest behind her. How her heartbeat was no longer in her chest, but rather her ears and throat.

She felt like death would have been less painful then what was to come.

It only took fifteen seconds of unanswered silence for Marx's frustration to boil over.

"What could they have possibly said to you that changed how you felt for us? Was it that despite our unshared blood that we treated you as an equal? Was it that despite the gaps in our ages we all made it our life's work to train you? Was it because we loved you to damn much?!"

The princess tightened her fists in her lap, but remained silent none the less. Only infuriating Marx, and now Leon, more.

The younger brother spoke before Marx could raise his temper higher.

"It wasn't magic. I can tell that much. Was it father's part? Did his constant forgivness over your pathetic soft heartedness drive you away?

Kamui's eyes suddenly ignited as she stood, uneasily, but with anger all the same.

"Garon is not worthy to hold even a grave among the same earth as my real father. Sumeragi was murdered by your king out of spite and spite alone. He stole me away just as he would have any other pawn for his games!"

Leon moved forward a step, but Camilla quickly intervened by roughly pushing Kamui back into her seat.

"You are out of line princess. He is still our father and the man who spared your life countless times. He would not have done so if he did not care at all."

The purple haired woman's voice held an air of warning. Cautioning the young princess to consider her next words less she set off Marx or Leon.

Elise tried to resituate herself next to Kamui's form, but the princess's furious movements prevented the action.

"What father sends his daughter into enemy lines with a blade made to bomb a city?! That sword he gave me caused a cataclysmic amount of death in Hoshido, and had my mother not stepped before me I'd be dead as well!"

None of them had known that. In fact Kamui would go as far as to say she had sucessfully stunned them all simultaniously for the first time ever.

Though the silence only lasted until Marx began pacing again. He was musing his hair horribly due to his hand combing through it every few seconds.

"Father and his morals are not the same as your's Kamui. Camilla and Leon have been tested with nearly suicidal missions since they could walk! I have been on the recieving end of chastisements that have physically left me with scars to this day!"

Kamui suddenly tried to stand again, but Camilla was too fast and held down her restraints with a single hand.

"IF THAT'S TRUE, WHY DO YOU FIGHT FOR HIM?!"

"Because he is still my mentor! He is still the person who raised us and made us strong! He would not have given us a task he thought we could not escape. Unlike you, loyalty means something to us all!"

The princess's eyes suddenly began to water, but Marx was not done.

"Even if not for him, how could you abandon us all as though we were nothing?! Did you truthfully favor those pathetic barbarians over us?! They fled the moment they realized you were no longer worth the struggle!"

Camilla tried to stop her brother, but Marx voice was beginning to reach an alarming height.

"You turn your back on Elise for a girl who could not even look you in the eye as she retreated? You abandon Camilla for a woman who cried like a child upon realizing her own weakness? You leave behind Leon for a stupid prick of a boy who, despite being in fine fighting shape, took one look at your battered form and spit on your face before turning away?!"

Marx glared down into the red eyes that had begun to overflow with unshead tears.

"You left Nohr. Your Kingdom. Your king. And the family that has spent the last 19 years of their lives trying to appease an unfrageful traitorous bastard's child!"

"MARX!"

"BROTHER!"

Despite being chained, Kamui managed to slam the palm of her hand against Marx's face. Hard. The sound of her slap left a nearly surreal level of tension over the campsite.

Kamui's voice wavered more so then ever before, as she peered straight into the hollow eyes that once held the world within them.

"Kill me right here and now then if I am such a nuisance. But know that the moment you chanined me up and brought me back, you became as dishonorable a man as I see Garon."

No one said a word.

Save for the crackling of the campfire, nothing but time conitued to move.

It took some time before Elise found the courage to approach Marx. The forming of a nasty bruise was beginning to show along his cheek bone, and there would undoubtably be swelling.

He had yet to say a word, and the purple haired woman doubted he would for a long while.

The youngest began to work her magic quickly and quietly as Camilla sighed to release the tension in suffocating her body.

"Kamui, come. It's time we all go to bed."

"...whatever you say. I am at my captors' command after all."

Never had Camilla expected to be hurt so badly by only a few words.

She was no longer, to Kamui's eyes, someone the princess would respect let alone show love for.

It was like a nightmare come true.

Elise and Leon could only imagine the similar responses awaiting for them should they speak up.

Kamui turned away from them all and sat herself back onto the rock she had been sitting on before.

The last thing said for the rest of the night came from the princess's soft voice.

"If there comes a time or place where I am free again...trust that I will not hesitate like earlier. None of you will be spared."


	3. The Path Is Their's

The next morning was silent, as expected.

Save for the occasional rustle of chains or crackle of the fire, Kamui had not tried to escape at anytime throughout the night.

Instead the princess had stared at the sky. Watching with no real attention as the colors morphed from navy, to lilac, to orange, and so on.

During each shift change the Nohr siblings, save for Marx, had tried to speak to their sister.

Camilla attempted to coax out a retort with patient tones. Leon had softly asked numerous questions. Elise had begged for one good reason to her choice.

Each was met with a glare colder than ice.

At one point, Leo had sworn he could hear the dragon blooded girl softly humming a strange tune that he felt as though he remembered from his youth.

But the song was ended like a stomped on ember. Abruptly and with a sullen huff once the princess had realized he could hear her.

The evening turned to dawn soon enough.

Marx was the first to speak after Leon and Camilla had finished packing up what remained of their breakfast.

Kamui had outright refused to eat.

"Your choice to remain awake was foolish. We will not be resting again until we reach home, sister."

The eldest prince's tone was not as harsh as it could have been. Rather, it sounded tired and almost a tad bit remorseful.

As though he didn't already know that Kamui would suffer from this choice.

Like she would with all her most recent choices.

"Eating nothing was also a mistake."

"Bringing the one you claim to love to her own execution seems like a fucking mistake as well. But who am I to judge..."

Marx's bruise from last night stung bitterly, as though Kamui's words had landed another blow directly against the hand shaped mark.

The other's continued on with their packing. Pretending as though each of their stomachs hadn't dropped at the word "execution".

Marx turned to remount his horse in silence.

The princess kept her gaze locked onto her feet once the group had begun to move forward again.

The same rope from yesterday had been reattached to her neck and the holster along the younger prince's saddle. Keeping her bound by the throat, literally, and forced to keep up.

A noose for the cattle she had become rather than another prisoner of war.

None of the royal family could deny the dark feelings of dread that tugged at the back of their minds. Forgiveness was a rarity unlike any other with Garon. Mistakes were bound to happen when growing up, but outright betrayal was a call for death.

And with so many witnesses...a whole army's worth. The excuse of foul play or magic would be nearly impossible to get past.

An hour or so in Kamui's breathing became noticeably labored. Camilla feigned worrying about the horses needing a moment to rest due to each carrying two bodies. Marx nodded and allowed them all to stop for ten minutes.

Kamui sneered the offer of water away and remained tied to Leo's steed.

The younger prince was about try and argue with her until a sudden voice called out from the right of the traveling group.

"The troops were being lead south though!"

Every body froze.

"I don't care, the princess was last seen being taken with a small fleet to the western half of the forrest. Im positive."

Two voices. One young male. One older female.

"Commander! If they've already crossed into the Nohrian border we'll get slaughtered for even coming close!"

Only a couple yards out. The boy was closer to their location.

"Then I guess we better hope we get lucky before then huh?"

The woman was farther out.

Kamui's head had been ready to shout, but Leo's hand had clamped over the princess's mouth not a second later.

The white haired girl shook her chains as harshly as she could while her teeth bit into the leather texture of the blonde's gloves.

It was no use. They were too far out to hear the light thudding of the metal against soft earth. Nor her muffled calls.

Marx and Elsie remained as still as stone while Camilla gently slid her axe off into her grasp before silently making her way into the forrest.

"Commander, even if the Nohrian's were to reach the southern- HALT! Who goes-"

The sound of choking, followed immediately by a horrifying gurgle once steel met bone was enough for Kamui's adrenaline to spike.

With an unforeseen amount of strength the princess threw her head back hard enough to headbutt Leo's nose.

A quick swear and loose grip have Kamui a blessed two seconds to scream at the top of her lungs.

"RETREAT! LEFT FLANK! LEFT-"

Leo's hand clamped back over top of Kamui's mouth quickly, but the sound of rustling and a sudden jolt through the tree's lining revealed a pegasus knight. It was the woman, whoever she was, she had heard the call and gone skyward.

The boy's voice had since turned to silence.

Leo struggled to send a blast of magic for the knight's head, but the woman was quick to swerve out of the way. Not a moment later, she noticed Kamui.

"PRINCESS!"

With wide eyes the Hoshidian soldier turned her attention to the dragon blooded girl's captors.

It would be a fool's gamble. The royal family stood at the ready. The strongest Nohr had to offer vs one single air born soldier.

She mine as well have been outnumbered 1000 to 1.

With a regretful grunt, the knight turned her pegasus mid air.

"Please hold on princess! Help is coming!"

With a singe gust of the creature's wings, the soldier retreated back towards Hoshido.

Undoubtably ready to alert everyone that she had found the captured princess not even an hour's flight out.

Kamui nearly sobbed in relief. Or at least she would have, had a very angry set of footsteps not sent her blood running cold.

Camilla reappeared out of the forest lining. In one hand was her axe. Dripping red with the unmistakable stench of copper and death lingering to the weapon. In her other she held what Kamui could only guess was what remained of a archer's bow.

It too was stained dark red. Droplets flickering down to stain the soil like rain.

Camilla though was far more terryfying a sight than any amount of blood. The purple haired woman was storming towards Kamui with the speed of a freight train. Leo only had a second to stand back.

"HOW DARE YOU"

With one hand Camilla grabbed Kamui's shirt and yanked the young girl a foot off of the ground.

"How DARE you give away our position and warn that useless waste of a life. What is WRONG WITH YOU, SISTER?!"

Never had anyone heard Camilla raise her voice so. Anger had always been passive aggressive in nature, with smiles and coy laughter being the only indicator of malice hiding below a well hidden storm.

But to see her now in such a monstrous light was something no one could have ever guessed could exist.

And at her precious Kamui no less.

Camilla's glare held strong as the young princess's feet kicked at nothing but air while her bound hands clawed ineffectively at the older woman's hand.

Kamui's face was turning redder by the second. Nothing but useless noises leaving her throat.

"You had no right! YOU. HAD. NO. RIGHT. I have half a mind to-"

"CAMILLA! LET HER DOWN!"

Elise was suddenly shaking her eldest sister's free arm with such urgency that the purple haired woman broke out of her rage filled trance to peer down.

Elise was practically screeching with horror unlike ever before seen in her eyes.

" CAMILLA! She can't breathe!"

The "leash" that had been previously keeping Kamui stationed behind their party was now strangling the life out of the white haired girl. No one had noticed that the noose had tightened sharply upon Kamui being lifted off of the ground. The other end now was strung taught against the side of Leo's saddle.

What was once a red tint to the princesses face was now clearly becoming an obscenely shade of purple.

Camilla's eyes widened in realization. She released her hold on Kamui as though burned.

The princess fell back onto the spoil with a thud. Desperately tugging at the rope around her neck until she was able to loosen the knot far enough for oxygen to return to her lungs.

With heavy gasps for air, the princess allowed a hiccuping sob to shake her entire form. Opening the gateway for tears to freely slide down her face.

Elise and Marx both tried to rush to her side, but Kamui threw her fist out as though to strike them.

A wheezing crackle of "don't touch me" was hissed past hoarse vocal chords that had nearly been severed.

Camilla was practically collapsing at the seams. There were tears in her eyes as well.

"I-...Kamui, oh sweetheart I didn't mean-"

The princess was still trying to regain her bearings, as nasty red and purple lined began to form a ring around her throat.

A bruise that would only worsen with time no doubt.

Kneeling down softly, Camilla tried to reach out her hand, but Kamui fell back in absolute horror. She scooted as far back as she could. With an appearance that resembled one of a caged animal.

Camilla's heart shattered.

"Ple-please Kamui I- I am so sorry I would never-"

Kamui began to cry harder. She had never looked so scared in her entire life. She was shaking from head to toe and couldn't wrap her arms around herself due to the chains along her wrists.

Several minutes past. Nothing but wheeze filled cries to echo against the now peaceful summer air.

Camilla was sobbing as well. The other's remained frozen in place.

Finally composing herself, if only the to the barest minimum, Kamui sat up. The tremors rattling her entire being could still be seen.

She was in shock.

"I w-want this off."

She gestured to the noose that had nearly taken her life. It hung limply now around her neck. Not tight enough to take strangle again, but not nearly loose enough to be slipped off.

"I WANT IT OFF!"

Elise took a deep breath before moving forward with uncertain steps. She reached up to gingerly pat Kamui's head, as though forcing with all her might any sense of comfort she could offer.

Then with practiced skill, the young healer mumbled a spell that tore through and tossed the offending piece of rope to the ground.

She didn't comment over the very thin layer of drying blood that stained the inside of the noose.

It hurt Elise too much to look at, let alone acknowledge.

Rather the youngest blonde gave herself a moment to heal Kamui as well as she could. The bruising would remain, as would the internal problems for now...but she still did her best to close what wounds she could.

If only to have a second of actual closeness to her sister to whom she had almost watched die.

Kamui voiced no thanks once Elise was done. Instead she stood back onto her feet.

Her sobbing returned. But quieter this time.

Leo spoke once his patience for standing in the thickest silence of his life finally wore down his resolve.

"They will most likely return to scout this area. I...estimate around midday."

Marx only nodded once, before turning away to subtly wipe away the tears that had suddenly clouded his eyes.

The oldest of the five felt as though 30 years had been taken from his life.

He was suppose to protect them.

They were suppose to be okay...

And yet here they all stood. None of them being in any right to offer comfort. Him especially...given that he had been the one to demand the leash.

Marx cleared his throat.

"We still have allies in the northern most valley towards the desert. We will head there to replenish our supplies and get them off our trail for a day or two."

The eldest prince paused for a moment before gently motioning for Elise to climb atop of his horse. She took the reigns silently, already understanding that he would no longer be riding along with them.

The blonde heir moved to stand at a reasonable distance from Kamui. Close enough so that he could stop her from running. Yet far enough away to prevent her from attacking him.

"Are you-"

"Don't."

The princess spoke with a dull voice. Her shoulders were still shaking from the adrenaline, but her demeanor was no longer frightened.

Worse yet...it had become hollow.

"Don't any of you dare ask me if I am okay."


End file.
